Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio system for a model vehicle and, more particularly, to an apparatus for mounting an audio exciter, and to a method and apparatus for operating the audio exciter.
Description of the Related Art
Remote Control (R/C) scale model vehicles mimic the design, style and handling of the full-sized vehicles on which they are based, but at a fraction of the size and cost. While these vehicles emulate the physical characteristics of the full-sized original, R/C model vehicles, particularly electric-powered models, do not recreate the audible experience of the full-sized originals.
Certain commercially available audio exciters, also known as audio transducers, are originally intended, as purchased, to mount to an object by means of an adhesive ring supported on a plastic mounting tab. The adhesive is originally intended to be strong enough to keep the exciter mounted to any surface that it is attached to. However, the operating conditions of an R/C model vehicle are generally too severe to rely only upon the adhesive to ensure the exciter stays mounted during the vehicle operation and movement. Most audio systems on the market today require an actual speaker to be mounted somewhere. The speakers are often times fragile and not weather-resistant. A stick-on audio exciter will be damaged very easily in crashes when relying only upon the stock exciter's adhesive ring for mounting.